Given the way that Juan Rivera has developed this year, is the Yankees trade of Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera, and Randy Choate for Javier Vazquez (made on December 16, 2003) now the worst deal in recent Yankees history?

I’d have to say so, given how poorly Vazquez did in his one season and how well Johnson and Rivera are doing in 2006, not coincidentally at two positions which we could use the most help (1B, corner OF).

Then again, I can’t think of too many other bad trades unless “recent” stretches back into the 1980′s. Maybe the Mondesi trade, although we gave up nothing for him. Maybe the Aaron Boone trade, although I’d give up Claussen again if I knew about that one magical AB (the 2003 WS performance was atrocious!).

Vasquez was thought of as an innings horse and future ace at the time (just ask Jim Kaat, who beat that into YES viewers’ heads during every Javy Vasquez start). Though Rivera’s mediocre performance was perhaps partially a function of inconsistent playing time, he never struck me as much more than a AAAA caliber player at the time. Nick the Stick, on the other hand…

My vote still goes for the Rickey for Caderet/Plunk/Polonia trade, for reasons both practical and sentimental.

Yeah, all those trades suck now, but you have to remember the moment, too.

Rivera didn’t look like anything special, and I’m sure the Expos/Nats are pretty surprised right now that he’s playing this well. No one could have predicted his current play.

Nick Johnson was a big prospect for us, but he was always hurt. Everyone knew he could play; it was always a health issue (plus we had to give up SOMETHING for Vazquez, who was a hot property).

I’m long over the Kevin Brown trade. Brazoban has crashed and burned and Weaver is terrible. I wish Brown had never been on this team, but it made sense at the time, and he was coming off a great year.

Contreras melted down on the mound in New York. They should have traded him for someone better than they did, but at the time it seemed like a great deal just to dump his contract. It’s too bad they didn’t flip Loaiza to the Rangers when they had the chance.

People forget that both Vazquez and Brown pitched well for the Yankees in 2004.I remember Vazquez being compared to Mike Mussina at the time of the trade. His last season and a half, with a high ERA and HR9, are still within range expectations for him to continue a very good career. Look at Carlos Beltran this year and last year.

MJ, if you have a lot of time on your hands, you might be able to find the name in the New York “Post’s” archives. I remember the pitching-starved Rangers offered up an outfield prospect for Loaiza, but Big Stein wanted to see what Loaiza had, and the Yankees briefly went with a six-man rotation. Of course Loaiza bombed (his fastball looked like a curveball) and his trade value went up in smoke.